2014 Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid AWD

Pump-whipped in the quest for fuel-efficiency.

But things are not always as they seem. Any hopes of the Pathfinder’s hybrid technology triumphing over the gas pump were crushed when our test numbers revealed a 19-mpg average. Not bad for an SUV, but a good bit off the EPA’s 26-mpg combined mark. While some of that discrepancy can be chalked up to the heavy right-foot driving typical of C/D staffers, we’d be remiss if we didn’t point out that our long-term V-6–powered 2013 Pathfinder has been returning a consistent 20 mpg, just one mpg below its EPA combined estimate, under those same feet. Factor in the $3000 premium the hybrid commands over a non-hybrid version ($45,210 vs. $42,210 in Platinum trim), and the hybrid technology as incorporated here suddenly seems pointless.

A similar fate befell the last Toyota Highlander hybrid we tested. Rated by the EPA at 28 mpg in both city and highway cycles, the Highlander’s fuel economy also dropped precipitously in our hands, turning in an observed 22 mpg. Employing two electric motors and a V-6 gasoline engine, the Highlander is a different breed of hybrid, but the numbers bear out a recurrent theme: A soft touch is needed to get the most out of hybrids, especially SUVs tipping the scales at close to 5000 pounds, and even then the results might not pencil to your advantage.

We were pleased to find that the 4x4 system offered three modes of driver-selected operation via a dial on the faux-wood console: Front-wheel drive for maximum economy; automatic operation, which monitors conditions and feeds torque to all four wheels when necessary; or four-wheel-drive lock, which is selected by turning the dial and then depressing an integral button.

Although the suspension tuning is on target for around-town duty and long-distance highway hauls, there’s no love lost between our staff and the Pathfinder’s continuously variable transmission and its indifferent electrohydraulic steering. While cruising, the supercharged 2.5-liter keeps a low profile, but when extra power is needed for passing, merging, or climbing grades, the CVT lets the four-cylinder get its rev on, putting the engine’s raucous post-4000 rpm personality on full volume. From rest, 60 mph comes up in 7.6 seconds, and the quarter-mile marker arrives in 16.1, so at least it’s not Prius-league slow. And the hybrid powertrain is rated to tow up to 3500 pounds, although we can’t imagine employing the hybrid as a tow vehicle on any sort of regular basis. Hauling the 4788-pound SUV down from 70 mph required 175 feet, right in league with the 170 feet needed by our long-term V-6 Pathfinder. As with the rest of the hybrid’s driving dynamics, the braking action is simply a means to an end, devoid of involvement save for the non-linear feel of the regenerative braking that requires significant compensation by the driver.

We’re pleased the remixed Pathfinder has found a niche in the modern world, slotting in between the cute-utes and gargantuan body-on-frame SUVs. The world can use that type of vehicle. But by our testing, it’s hard to justify the added mass and cost this hybrid brings to the table.